Letters to the Editor

  • “Fairness and balance” in reporting genocide?

    I am shocked by Andrew Podger's invocation of the slogan "Fair and Balanced" - formerly used by Fox News, to criticise Pearls and Irritations' coverage of Israel's disproportionate response to Hamas' crimes of October 7th, 2023.

  • Magnificent

    Thank you for your simply magnificent response to Andrew Podger's total misconception of the momentous crimes being committed under Netanyahu's direction.

  • How serious is Mr. Podger about the integrity of journalism?

    I found the recent contribution by Andrew Podger to P & I, Fairness and balance in P & I reporting on the Middle East—putting it as politely as I can—to be curious.

  • Why would Walter Silvester lie?

    I have a problem with a story that appeared in P & I on 03/11 by Val Noone entitled "Fake news, Melbourne 1966:" about Pallottine Priest Father Walter Silvester.

  • The ABC, death by a Thousand Cuts

    A very necessary and timely analysis of why the ABC is becoming increasingly irrelevant to the major policy debates within Australia.

  • Elect them and they will put up taxes manta

    I often watch foreign movies and marvel at the infrastructure in other countries and marvel at how they can build it and we can’t. How we once did but now can’t.

  • Israel must be right, always

    If you want to know what is actually happening stick with P & I.

  • Australia should encourage Taiwan to reunite with China peacefully

    Australia should encourage Taiwan to reunite with China peacefully instead of provoking Taiwan to declare independence unilaterally.

  • The State of Palestine

    If we can define Palestine as historic Palestine, or all the land south of Lebanon, north of Egypt and between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea, then, yes, a State of Palestine is the best idea.

  • Many were prepared to arm themselves

    When Whitlam made his monumental speech, there were thousands of Australians - many were known peacemakers - who were prepared to take up arms for Whitlam - after listening to radio.

  • They don’t care

    Geoff Davies reminds us of the contempt with which the fossil fuel industry treats the planet, and its residents.

  • Fairness and Balance

    Edgar Snow, the remarkable American author of the best-seller, “Red Star Over China”, first published in 1937, was regularly criticized for lack of balance in his reporting on the rise of fascism, which prompted this reported response...

  • Tomorrow never comes

    Ask, in Spain, when a job will be done, and you will be told ‘manana’ – meaning tomorrow. Ask again the next day: same answer. Tomorrow never comes. Manana is clearly the mantra for our governments when asked about when they’ll tackle our climate crisis effectively.

  • Australia must be bold on climate

    Geoff Davies' basic point is that the big fossil fuel corporations in Australia "will do anything to protect and increase shareholder return" including murder. His solutions are most interesting, but I'm adding some practical measures.

  • Indexation the killer

    Damian Coburn's excellent contribution on the government debt load our children carry did not specifically mention the indexation of the debt to CPI rises, but my daughter is adamant that they are the killer.

  • Protecting the powerful

    We have seen instance after instance of the government protecting the powerful and hand-wringing (if lucky) over the powerless.

  • Just who are the elites?

    Let’s be clear, the ‘elites’ which the right is in the habit of conjuring up as the root of our problems are exemplified by the plutocrat cabal attending Trump’s after party

  • The Australian cringe

    Our status would also be significantly enhanced internationally if we were to be brave enough to declare Australia to be a neutral country.

  • Probing our ignorance

    Thank you Paul for your perceptive reading.

  • China Relations- Follow the Money

    Despite all efforts by hostile US administrations to reduce trade with China (the last two being particularly hostile) there has sill been an increase of 4.4 percent with the United States

  • It’s time to re-read Gore Vidal’s Perpetual War for Perpetual Peace

    I was very surprised by the election result in the US, like everybody else I know. But then it started to make a kind of sense.

  • Australia must choose a safe climate future

    It is imperative that Australia, a nation ravaged by the impacts of climate change, commits to leading on climate solutions.

  • The Discarded

    Neo-liberalism has a lot to answer for and a vile outcome of it can be found in Robo-debt.

  • Manned submarines are the past

    A perceptive summary by John of the collective delusional propaganda cocoon in which we in Australia and the West more generally continue to live.

  • The implosion of a hollowed out regime?

    US law allows millions to be crushed by the wealth of a tiny minority, paid less than living wages by those who get rich at their expense.

  • Brian Toohey is right about Rudd

    Brian Toohey is spot on about Rudd.

  • Fossil fuel approvals undermine credibility

    As Noel Turnbull revealed, the latest Zurich-Mandala Climate Risk Index found that “half of Australia’s tourism sites and airports are currently in the highest three climate risk categories.”

  • Thanks, Margaret Reynolds

    Margaret Reynolds' call for Australia to take real action against Israel was a valuable contribution.

  • Democracy in America

    Humphrey McQueen's recent article appears rather incongruous with Alexis de Tocqueville's much referenced worldview.

  • “WTF just happened?”

    Did the beginning of the end of neo-liberalism just happen? One can hope.

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Letters to the Editor

Read letters from our readers in response to our articles and current issues.